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Whether pitching a product or trying to foist a scam, illegal telemarketing and robocalls are a
persistent problem. But efforts to cut off the irritating calls are on the rise, including
lawsuits, landline tools and cellphone applications.

One of the newest entrants in the battle was launched nationwide two weeks ago. Called
Nomorobo.com, it’s the brainchild of a Long Island software developer who shared a $50,000 prize
from the Federal Trade Commission for the best tech solution to thwart telephone spam.

“We’re aware of, and extremely pleased, that potential technological solutions to help consumers
block unwanted, illegal robocalls are making their way to the marketplace,” said FTC spokeswoman
Kati Daffan. “This is exactly why we launched our Robocall Challenge last year.”

Other tech tools are focused on smartphones using applications — many of which are free — that
let you block known spam callers and do reverse lookups of suspect numbers. Among the free versions
are Mr. Number for Android phones and CallControl for Android and BlackBerry phones. Like other
smartphone apps, they rely on “crowd-sourced” lists of spam phone numbers, which are reported and
shared by fellow users.

Clearly, there’s a demand for solutions. Every month, the FTC fields about 178,500 consumer
complaints about telemarketing and automated robocalls.

The National Do Not Call Registry, which lets consumers sign up their home phones and
cellphones, helps block most — but not all — telemarketing calls. As of June, the list’s 10th
anniversary, more than 221 million numbers were registered.

“DNC has been extremely successful when it comes to legitimate telemarketers,” said the FTC’s
Daffan, whose agency oversees the registry. “Legitimate companies scrub their lists against the DNC
registry and do refrain from calling.”

It’s the bad guys who are the real problem. The Do Not Call Registry has been swamped by growing
complaints about calls that sneak through.